Method and system for an intelligent telephone prefix dialer

ABSTRACT

Method and system for an Intelligent Prefix Dialer eliminates the necessity for manually dialing an area code as a prefix to a call in telephone systems in which such action is a requirement. The Intelligent Prefix Dialer can be resident in a service provider&#39;s Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and is capable of analyzing the dialing sequence from the caller&#39;s Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to determine when the caller wishes to dial seven digits. In the event that the caller has dialed seven digits or less, the present invention can append the abbreviated digits the caller has dialed to a caller defined default prefix, in order to form a complete telephone number to be used by the telephone network to establish the connection to a called party.

1.1. RELATED U.S. PATENT DOCUMENTS

This is a divisional application claiming the benefit of pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/525,566 filed on Mar. 15, 2000, which is hereby incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

1.2. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to telephone communications, and more particularly to a method and system having the capability to append caller initiated abbreviated dial sequence to a caller defined default prefix, in order to form a complete telephone number to be used by the telephone network to successfully establish a connection to a called party, and for selectively activating the method and system.

1.3. DESCRIPTION OF RELATED ART

Local telephone calls have, for many years, been established by dialing a seven digit code. Most recently, however, the demand for telephone number assignments has increased dramatically due to subscriber's use of telephone lines for fax machines, and the internet as well as separate voice lines. New housing developments have also increased the demand for telephone number assignments.

One technological advance which promises to alleviate this problem for a number of years is to require a calling party to dial the area code of a called party even when the two parties are within a common area code. Thus, one would be required to dial a ten digit code even if the called party is next door. It will be readily apparent that this change is highly inconvenient to many persons who wish to continue the use of the traditional seven digit dialing for local calls.

Accordingly it will be understood that a method and system which, in such a contemplated modified telephone dialing system, permits the ongoing use of standard seven digit dialing for routine local calls would be highly desirable, and it is to this end that the present invention is directed.

1.4. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A method and system for an Intelligent Prefix Dialer eliminates the necessity for manually dialing an area code as a prefix to a call in telephone systems in which such action is a requirement. The Intelligent Prefix Dialer can be resident in a service provider's Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and is capable of analyzing the dialing sequence initiated from the caller's Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to determine when the caller wishes to dial seven digits. In the event that the caller has dialed and intended to dial seven digits or less, the present invention can append the abbreviated digits the caller has dialed to a caller defined default prefix, in order to form a complete telephone number that can be used by the telephone network to successfully establish the connection to a called party.

1.5. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a pictorial block diagram representing an embodiment of the inventive method within the Service Provider's Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) equipment, according to the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a call control flow diagram within the SSP and IP AIN elements, according to the present invention.

FIG. 3 is a control logic flow diagram within the SCP AIN element, according to the present invention.

FIG. 4 is a flow diagram showing a user options interface implemented within the SSP/IP AIN elements, according to the present invention.

FIG. 5 is a flow diagram showing user options recording capability implemented within the SCP AIN element, according to the present invention.

1.6. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

Most subscribers have a pattern of dialing that presupposes using a specific Numbering Plan Area number, (NPA) more frequently than any other overlayed NPA number. With my invention a subscriber designated NPA number can be stored for use with any seven digit number the subscriber dials. Moreover, if desired by the subscriber, an NPA-Nxx number may be stored in my invention, thus facilitating xxxx, 4 digit dialing by the subscriber for call completion.

The present invention can provide a method and system that is responsive to the 7 or less digit number dialed by the calling party, and eliminate the necessity for the calling party to dial any predetermined code, such as an area code, prior to entering the called party's local telephone number.

The method and system according to the present invention has the capability to store a user programmable predetermined code, such as e.g., an area code for on demand use when the user is dialing a phone number, such as, e.g., a seven digit dial sequence.

The present invention eliminates the necessity for manually dialing an area code as a prefix to a call in telephone systems in which such action is a requirement. The Intelligent Prefix Dialer can be resident in a service provider's Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) and is capable of analyzing the dialing sequence initiated from the caller's Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) to determine when the caller wishes to dial seven digits.

In the event that the caller has dialed and intended to dial seven digits or less, the present invention can append the abbreviated digits the caller has dialed to a caller defined default prefix, in order to form a complete telephone number that can be used by the telephone network to successfully establish the connection to a called party.

Referring to FIG. 1 for methodology references, the intelligent telephone prefix dialer 10 may be implemented in an Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) environment. Background information related to AIN architecture is incorporated herein by reference; see “Advanced Intelligent Network Release 1 Network and Operations Plan”, Special Report, SR-NPL-001623, Issue 1, June 1990, Bell Communications Research, also see “Advanced IntelligentNetworks—now a reality” by C. D. Sharp and K. Clegg, Electronics & Communication Engineering Journal, June 1994.

Note that the Service Switching Point (SSP) 25 by definition has AIN Switch Capabilities. The Intelligent Peripheral (IP) 20 and the Adjunct 15 are shown for completeness of detail in that my invention may be implemented using the IP 20 and the Adjunct 15 in lieu of exclusive implementation in the SSP 25 and SCP 30. The Adjunct 15 is functionally equivalent to the SCP 30 but uses a high speed communications channel separate and distinct from the SS7 channel 35 communications between the SCP 30 and the SSP 25.

According to the present invention, the IP 20 may be used to set up sophisticated interaction, e.g. voice interaction, between the subscriber, i.e., user, and the intelligent telephone prefix dialer, in lieu of the *code/stutter dial tone communication shown in FIG. 4. The IP 20 may also be used for the capturing and counting of subscriber dtmf digits in lieu of that functionality being implemented at the SSP 25.

According to the present invention, the user options interface may be implemented at either the SSP 25 or the IP 20 and, as shown in FIG. 4 at step 90, can be responsive to a * code sent from the subscriber's equipment, i.e., Customer Premise equipment, such as telephone CPE, indicating that the subscriber wishes to store a default prefix dial string, e.g., area code, in a user options database 28 that may be resident within the SCP 30. As shown at step 95, the default prefix dial string may be sent to the SCP. As shown at steps 100, 110, and 115, upon dial tone stutter prompt initiated by the IP 20, the subscriber using telephone CPE enters the desired prefix code, e.g., area code, followed by the # key. These digits are captured by the IP 20 and then forwarded to the user options database 28 via the SS7 channel 35 between the SSP 25 and the SCP 30. As shown at step 120, confirmation, i.e., acknowledgment is received from the IP 20. As shown in FIG. 5, the storage process 135 of the default dialing prefix is followed by acknowledgment being sent to the SSP, as shown in step 140.

Additionally, confirmation of the default dialing prefix being successfully stored in the user options database 28 may be provided by a voice announcement to the subscriber over the telephone network, the voice announcement being initiated by the IP 20.

As most clearly shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, a call control function can be provided in the SSP 25 and the IP 20. As shown at step 40, the call control function can capture and count digits transmitted by the subscriber using a telephone such as telephone CPE (FIG. 1). Additionally, at step 45, an interdigit delay is timed so that the intelligent prefix dialer 10 can determine when the subscriber has ceased entering digits from the telephone CPE. At step 50, the user entered dialing sequence is closed upon timeout, i.e., when the interdigit delay has exceeded a predetermined value. At step 55, the timing results and digit sequence is reported to the SCP 30. The SCP processes the reported information so that when required the SCP can transmit a complete dial string that, as shown in step 60 is received by other AIN network elements, e.g., the SSP 25 and the IP 20. As shown at step 65, the AIN network elements in operable communication with the SCP 30 may then provide the necessary signaling to establish call connection based on the complete dial string.

It should be understood that a variable comprising the specified number of digits, i.e., the total number of digits required to complete the call, minus the number of default dialing prefix digits entered by the user may be transmitted from the SSP 25 to the SCP 30. This variable may be recorded in the user options database 28.

As shown in FIG. 3, the control logic of my invention can reside in the SCP 30 and can retrieve the variable containing the specified number of digits to determine whether to activate dialing after the digit capture logic, of my invention has timed out, i.e., as shown in step 70, the data triggered from Call Control within the SSP 25 is analyzed. As shown at branching step 75 if the default dial prefix is required, process step 80 is initiated to append the user dialed number to the default dial prefix so that a complete dial string is comprised of the default dial prefix and the user dialed number appended to the default dial prefix. Subsequently, at step 85, the complete dial string is sent to the SSP at step 85. As shown at branching step 77, if no default dial prefix is required, step 85 is executed while bypassing the appending procedure at step 80.

In summary of the aforementioned processes, once the default dial prefix has been stored in the user options database 28, the intelligent dialing functionality of my invention is prepared for activation. When the subscriber picks up the telephone, the SSP 25 transmits a series of triggers to the SCP 30 indicating call progress, including off-hook line condition, flash-hook line condition, and on-hook line condition. The SCP 30 determines whether the intelligent dialing feature is present in an AIN features list belonging to the current subscriber. If yes, the SCP 30 then determines that the intelligent dialing function is to be activated in the dtmf listen mode, and transmits the request to the SSP 25 which is forwarded by the SSP 25 to the IP 20.

Subsequently, the IP 20 is tasked to capture, count, and timeout dtmf digits sent by the subscriber, while inhibiting those digits from going to the switch, (SSP 25). When digit capturing by the IP 20 has timed out, such as when the subscriber finishes dialing a number and is no longer entering digits, the IP 20 communicates the subscriber's dialing sequence to the SSP 25 with instructions for the SSP 25 to not complete the call at this time, but to forward the subscriber's dialing sequence to the SCP 30. Upon receipt of the subscriber's dialing sequence from the SSP 25 via the SS7channel, my inventive method in the SCP 30 counts the digits. If the number of digits dialed by the subscriber does not equal said specified number of digits, supra, the SCP 30 transmits instructions back to the SSP 25 to complete the call only with the subscriber's dialing sequence. If the number of digits dialed by the subscriber is equal to said specified number of digits, supra, the SCP 30, by means of the control logic of my inventive method, appends the digits dialed by the subscriber to said default dial prefix digits, supra, and temporarily stores the resultant digit sequence. The SCP 30 then transmits the resultant digit sequence back to the SSP 25, with instructions for the SSP 25 to complete the call using said resultant digit sequence. In accordance with said instructions from the SCP 30, the call is completed by the SSP 25. My inventive method then remains quiescent until the subscriber initiates a flash or other hook switch transition.

In order to provide for the selective dialing of long distance, or other dial strings which do not require the Nxx-xxxx dial sequence for call completion, the Intelligent Prefix Dialer 10 automatically inhibits itself from interrupting the subscriber initiated dial sequence thus allowing for successful call completion without intervention from the Intelligent Telephone Prefix Dialer 10. Thus the calling subscriber may dial 7 digits to complete the call, additionally, when the subscriber has entered more than three digits into the intelligent prefix dialer 10 as the pre-stored prefix code, the subscriber may dial less than 7 digits to complete the call. 

1. A computer implemented telephone dialing method for call completion to connect a subscriber to a called party, the method comprising the steps of: accepting a default dialing prefix entered by the subscriber; storing the default dialing prefix in non-volatile memory; accepting a dial string on a telephone network, the dial string being initiated by the subscriber; determining whether the subscriber initiated dial string has a required number of incomplete digits related to a number of digits of the default dialing prefix; completing the call by using a complete dial string, the complete dial string being comprised of the subscriber initiated dial string appended to the default dialing prefix if the user initiated dial string was determined to have the required number of incomplete digits related to the number of digits of the default dialing prefix, and alternatively, the complete dial string being comprised of the subscriber initiated dial string without being appended to the default dialing prefix if the user initiated dial string was determined to not have the required number of incomplete digits related to the number of digits of the default dialing prefix; and, wherein the call is completed thereby connecting the subscriber to the called party.
 2. The computer implemented method of claim 1 wherein the method steps are executed within a service provider's AIN elements.
 3. The computer implemented method according to claim 1 wherein the step of accepting a dial string initiated by the subscriber further comprises accepting only the subscriber entered dial string that occurs before a predetermined timeout value has been exceeded.
 4. The computer implemented method according to claim 3 wherein the determining step further comprises subtracting a first number of digits captured in the subscriber initiated dial string from a pre-determined second umber wherein if the result is equal to a third number representing the number of digits contained in the default dialing prefix, then the subscriber initiated dial string has the required number of incomplete digits.
 5. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the step of accepting a default dialing prefix entered by the subscriber further comprises providing a user options interface capable of prompting the user entry and acknowledging correct entry of the default dialing prefix.
 6. The computer implemented method according to claim 1, wherein the step of storing the default dialing prefix in non-volatile memory further comprises storing the default prefix dial string in a user options database.
 7. The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the step of storing the default dialing prefix in non-volatile memory further comprises storing the default prefix dial string in a user options database.
 8. The computer implemented method according to claim 7, wherein the user options database is provided in a Service Control Point (SCP) element of the AIN.
 9. The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the step of accepting a default dialing prefix entered by the subscriber further comprises providing a user options interface capable of prompting the user entry and acknowledging correct entry of the default dialing prefix.
 10. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the user options interface is implemented within a Service Switch Point (SSP) element of the AIN.
 11. The computer implemented method according to claim 9, wherein the user options interface is implemented within an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) element of the AIN.
 12. The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein at least one of the AIN elements provides a call control function capable of timing interdigit delays produced by the caller when entering a digit sequence from a customer premise equipment (CPE).
 13. The computer implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the AIN elements provides a timeout feature to close the caller entered digit sequence based on a predetermined timeout value.
 14. The computer implemented method according to claim 12, wherein the at least one of the AIN elements communicates the caller initiated digit sequence to a Service Control Point (SCP).
 15. The computer implemented method according to claim 2, wherein the determining step is performed by a Service Control Point (SCP).
 16. The computer implemented method according to claim 15, wherein the Service Control Point (SCP) sends the complete dial string to a Service Switching Point (SSP).
 17. The computer implemented method according to claim 16, wherein the Service Switching Point (SSP) establishes the call connection using the complete dial string.
 18. A system for call completion within a service provider's Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN) comprising: a Service Switching Point (SSP); a Service Control Point (SCP) in operable communication with the Service Switching Point; the SSP being operable in conjunction with computer executable code to provide the capability of capturing, counting, and timing an interdigit delay time of a subscriber initiated dial string entered from a customer premise equipment (CPE); the SCP being operable in conjunction with computer executable code to provide the capability of storing a default dialing prefix in a user options database, determining whether the subscriber initiated dial string has a required number of incomplete digits related to a number of digits of the default dialing prefix, appending the subscriber initiated dial string to the default dialing prefix only if the user initiated dial string was determined to have the required number of incomplete digits, sending the complete dial string to the SSP; and, wherein the SSP has the capability of establishing call connection based on the complete dial string.
 19. The system for call completion according to claim 18, further comprising: an Intelligent Peripheral (IP) in operable communication with the SSP to provide voice interaction between the subscriber and the call completion system during the process of storing the default dialing prefix in the user options database.
 20. The system for call completion according to claim 19, further comprising: an Adjunct in operable communication with the SSP; the Adjunct having the capability to perform the same intelligent prefix dialing functions as the SCP in an independent manner. 